Tainted Paint
by monkeymaiden14
Summary: Fifteen years later, little Joy is (almost) grown up, and four more additions to the family have arrived. But, when scientists break open the constantly frozen Burgess pond, an evil with an unsatiable hunger for revenge is revived, and this time he has five new targets. The Warren burns; Pitch has returned.
1. Chapter 1

"Do you have your egg bombs?"

"Yes."

"Emergency portal?"

"Yes."

"First aid kit?"

"I've got everything Mom!" Aster chuckled, Jack looking over Joy with a discerning eye, making sure she was armed and ready. The snow white Pooka was now as tall as Jack, minus her ears, growing into a strong young Pooka. She wore a light blue armor vest Jack had painstakingly sewn, as well as matching arm guards and utility belt with sparkling silver snowflakes. She had her boomerangs strapped to her back, specially made by himself for her birthday, her second gift being taken out in the field on Easter. It would be her first time out of the Warren for more than a quick visit, and of course the fifteen year old Pooka was excited, and in true Frost style lorded it over her younger siblings.

"She'll be fine." He said, interrupting Jack. "I'll be with her the whole time. Just relax and keep an eye on the ankle biters. We'll be back by nightfall." Jack let out a deep breath, calming himself down.

"Just don't do anything stupid." He sighed, hugging their first born tightly. Joy returned her Mother's embrace, nuzzling his cheek. "Stay away from big dogs, listen to and stick to your Father like glue, and do your best."

"Don't worry Mom." Laughed Joy. "Nothing faster than a rabbit." Aster took Jack in his arms as he released Joy, kissing him passionately.

"Ew, guys!" groaned Joy, ears flat against her head. "Get a room!"

"See you tonight." Said Aster, hugging Jack tightly. "And don't let the kids stay up late waiting for us, okay?"

"I make no promises." Snickered Jack. "Don't forget to say hi to Jamie and Sophie."

"Like I'd forget my favorite little invader." Laughed Aster. Jack watched from the door as they dashed off to deliver Easter, thousands of painted and prepared egglets in tow.

"Be safe." He said quietly before returning to the burrow. Slowly the home came alive, their second born coming to breakfast with his younger siblings in tow. Hunter, Aster's spiting image even at fourteen, helped his younger twin sisters into their chairs while Jack strapped Nick into his highchair. Emma and Rose's patched fur stuck up at odd angles, the seven year olds still rubbing their eyes and yawning. Nick's short brown fur was still downy to the touch, the two year old's white paws in stark contrast to the rest of his body.

"Mama, I'm hungry." Squeaked Rose, big green eyes looking up at him expectantly. Jack put big bowls of fruit on the table, smiling while the kids dug in. He cut up some of the bigger fruits for Nick, and as he was setting the plate on the tale he heard a crash. Hunter turned around in his chair, looking into the hall.

"What was that Mom?" he asked, ears swiveling as he tried to find the source.

"Probably one of the golems sitting down." Shrugged Jack, returning to breakfast.

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"Slow down Joy!" yelled Aster, chasing the snow white Pooka through the tunnels.

"Is the big bad Easter Kangaroo getting too old to keep up?" she snickered, dashing along confidently. Aster huffed at the nickname.

"Oh, now you've done it sheila." He yelled, grinning as he shot forward. Suddenly he stopped, Joy smashing into his back.

"Hey, what's the hold up?" Aster sniffed the air, ears swiveling.

"Go to the pole." He said quietly.

"What?" asked Joy. "Why?"

"NOW, Joy." Blinking, Joy brought out her portal, whispering Santoff Claussen before smashing it to the ground. When Aster was sure she was through, the glowing portal gone, he dashed forward, more of the acrid stench filling his nose. Finally he sped out of the tunnels, his eyes widening in horror.

Black smoke curled into the sky, the egg golems running around in a panic, unable to get water to stop the blaze. Fire licked hungrily at the grass, a few trees burning slowly to the ground. Smoke billowed out of the burrows, and worst of all, he couldn't see Jack or their children anywhere. His ears perked as he heard familiar screams, heart stopping. Blue flashed behind the smoke, ice gripping the burrow for seconds before the flames melted it away. Bolting full speed, he jumped through the broken door, crouching low under the smoke.

"Bye bye Jackie." Aster's eyes narrowed, seeing the familiar smoky shadows creeping through the hall and to the master bedroom, following the melted ice. Grabbing his boomerangs, he heard Emma and Rose scream, Nick crying and Jack threatening Pitch.

"Get away from my family." He snarled, the tone, weak from heat and smoke inhalation, only making Pitch laugh.

"You ruined my future ruling the world with fear." He said dryly. "Now to take away theirs with you." Aster loosed his boomerangs, slicing into the dark smoke, a loud yell of pain telling him he hit his mark. Grabbing the boomerangs from the air, he rammed into Pitch, knocking him down, Jack in the far corner of the bedroom, Nick cradled in his arms, Emma, Rose and Hunter behind him. Blood ran down his side and head, face almost the normal color for a human, staff wet with melted frost. Grabbing a portal, he smashed it into the ground, opening a glowing portal to Santoff Claussen.

"Go!" he yelled, pushing Hunter through while picking up Jack and Nick. Rose and Emma ran through after their brother, Aster following while Pitch screamed in anger. With a loud thump the six toppled onto the globe room floor, North already commanding the yetis like a general. Joy hopped over, eyes wide at her sibling's sooty fur, her Mother's blood dripping onto the floor.

"What happened?!" she squeaked, terrified.

"Don't leave the room." Said Aster, the yetis taking Jack and the children to the infirmary. "Wait for Tooth and Sandy."

"What happened?" demanded North, Mrs. Clause jumping as the yetis nearly barrelled her over, tray of fresh cookies and hot cocoa nearly dumping all over her.

"Pitch attacked the Warren." Said Aster quietly. "The whole thing is in flames. He went after Jack and the kids. Joy was with me." Wordlessly North turned and pushed the massive key for the Aurora, the green hues filling the skies.

"Joy, stay in the globe room." Repeated Aster, seeing his daughter try and sneak out through the corner of his eye.

"Why?" she demanded. "What's going on?! What happened to Mom?!" Aster took a deep breath.

"Pitch Black tried to hurt him, and your little brothers and sisters." He said. "He used your Mother's weakness to heat against him, and set fire to the Warren."

"Why?!"

"Because he has a bad grudge against your Mother." Said Aster. "If you hadn't been out with me today, I probably wouldn't have made it back in time. If Pitch hadn't gotten them, another ten minutes in the burrow would have." Wordlessly, Joy wrapped her arms around Aster, Aster gently rubbing her back as silent sobs racked her body. Once she stopped quivering, Aster let her go.

"Wait here for Tooth and Sandy." He said. "North and I need to check on your Mother and siblings." Joy nodded, parking herself on the couch. North and Aster walked solemnly up to the infirmary, focussing on one thing.

"Daddy!" yelled Emma, Rose sitting on one of the beds as the yetis worked the soot from her fur. Jack was in a bathtub full of snow, semi conscious and slowly regaining his normal snowy white complexion. Aster could see the shallow wound on his head, stitched merely for the size, reaching from his ear to his hairline. Hunter was getting his burnt paw checked out, and Nick was hooked up to an oxygen tank, but was smiling happily.

"You all alright?" he asked, checking over his youngest with a discerning eye.

"Yeah." Said Hunter. "Mom's the worst off, but I think that's from how hot it was. Phil said we'll be fine."

"Joy-" Jack coughed, slipping deeper into the ice and snow. The yetis forced an oxygen mask on, careful of Jack's head wound.

"Joy is fine." Said Aster crouching by the tub and gently ruffling Jack's snow white hair. "I sent her here when I caught scent of the smoke. She's waiting for Tooth and Sandy in the globe room. We finished earlier than expected." At that moment, Mrs. Clause burst in, making Aster jump.

"Who's up for milk and cookies?" she declared, scooping up Nick. Emma and Rose looked pleadingly at their parents.

"Go on." Said Aster, Jack nodding weakly. "It's fine, just stay where the yetis and Mrs. Clause can see you." Hunter left with his sisters, sending a worried look at his Mother and Father while Nick babbled about cookies before he left. Aster turned back to Jack, who had his head resting on his shoulder, eyes shut.

"Oi, Snowflake!" said Aster worriedly.

"Relax Kangaroo." Sighed Jack. "I'm just tired. To much heat…"

"What happened?" he asked, looking down as Jack opened his bleary blue eyes.

"I don't know." Said Jack. "Hunter was on edge all day, but there was nothing. Then, I was making dinner and...I knew it was too quiet. I checked on them and he was THERE. He had them. Sweet MiM he was in the burrow!"

"Shh…" Aster braved the icy snow and rubbed soothing circles on Jacks back, cool fingers digging into his other arm. Jack trembled, the full force of the encounter with Pitch finally hitting him. "It's fine. Everyone is safe, and he didn't do anything to them. It's going to be alright."

"He got stronger." Whispered Jack. "I couldn't stop him. A few more minutes and-"

"We'll send him back into the dark hole he crawled out of." Said Aster assuringly. "He'll never get the chance to touch our kits again. If he tries it, I'll rip off his grubby little hands." Jack snuggled into Aster's chest, sighing contently.

"And I'll hold him down for you." Aster kissed his forehead, the only thing not covered by plastic on Jack's face.

"I'll hold you to that." He purred, relishing in the fact that his mate was safely wrapped in his arms. This time would be different. This time, Pitch would not get the chance to destroy his family.


	2. Chapter 2

"Pitch?!" squeaked Tooth, all five guardians assembled in the globe room. "He went after you again?!"

"Not me this time." Said Jack. "That little plan blew up in his face. No, he went after the kits. Joy was out with Aster, thank MiM."

"You must tell sooner or later." Said North.

"It doesn't matter." Said Aster. "None of it. All that matters is we love her. Pitch can suck an egg bomb, it's best she never knows about it."

"Pitch knew when Aster would be gone." Said Tooth. "He knew when it would just be Jack and the kids. But, what does he want with them?"

"Revenge against Jack?" wondered North. "Or Bunny."

"He only attacked me because I got in his way." Said Jack. "Whatever it is, he wanted the kids."

"But why them?" wondered Tooth. "Joy is the only one we KNOW has powers. Hunter's as talented as Bunny with a boomerang, but doesn't have enough strength yet to be a threat. The girls and Nick haven't shown anything at all yet."

"He said he was going to destroy their future with me." Shuddered Jack. "He was going to kill them." Aster rubbed his mate's shoulder comfortingly.

"You cannot kill an immortal." Said North reassuringly. "And Pitch not strong enough to kill. The power FAR out of reach."

"But they are still growing." Said Tooth. "They are not truly immortal yet. As much as I hate the idea, it may be possible. Jack might be at risk too. The fire almost did the job."

"What's important is that all of ya are safe, and we know Pitch is up to no good." Said Aster. "We can put the other spirits on red alert, and deal with him before he tries again. He'll be weak after this though. You'll all be safe for a while."

"But for how long?" asked Jack. "Aster, the burrow is in flames, and Pitch can get in the Warren! They are sitting ducks for him!" Aster sighed, running his paw though the fur on his head.

"We'll keep them safe." Said Tooth, sensing the winter spirit's frayed nerves and distress, Babytooth nuzzling his cheek affectionately. As they began to brainstorm for battle plans, Joy slid down to the floor, their words going through her head, her Father's anger. She had heard about Pitch before, the Bogeyman and of the war that brought her parents to speaking terms. But, what did that have to do with her? She had been born just a few days shy of six years after that. It was obvious they all knew, and judging by her Father's outburst she was not to be in the know. She hadn't missed the pained expression on her Mother's face, whether from the discussion of Pitch, his own injuries, or his wild imagination turning dark on him she didn't know. But, one thing was for certain. The only way she was going to find out was if she went looking herself. Suddenly she felt a paw on her knee. Hunter was crouched in front of her, forest green eyes full of thought.

"You heard all that?" she asked.

"Dad's not exactly QUIET." He snorted. "But don't worry about it. Whatever they're talking about probably isn't worth the thought."

"But what do I have to do with Pitch?!" she groaned. Though Hunter was a year younger, he had always been the most level headed in the family, lacking the hot tempers of their parents.

"I don't know." He said, shrugging. "But I think I know where we can find out." An impish grin spread across his features, eyes practically screaming with mischief. Joy smiled. Just because Hunter was more like their Father, in both appearance and nature, didn't mean he didn't have a soft spot, like their Mother, for raising some Hell.

And while he was an annoying stick in the mud, she knew he wouldn't just ignore something so clearly distressing his older sister, even if it meant breaking the biggest rule ever laid down by their parents, North, Tooth and Sandy;

Breaking into the Hall of Records.

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"Admit it, this is kinda fun!" whispered Joy as they slipped in the double doors, a bag of stolen dream sand effectively taking out the yeti guards.

"Lets just get this over with." Huffed Hunter, walking ahead through the hall with the glowing lamp. On a lone pedestal, surrounded by elegant statues of the guardians, sat a thick leather-bound book. Joy took a moment to admire the statues, lost in the craftsmanship. At the center was a ruby rendition of North, on his left a peacock stone image of Toothiana. On the right was a gold and bronze statue of Sandy. On opposites sides were her parents, her Father carved out of jade to the right, her Mother of shimmering light blue sapphire.

"Come on!" urged Hunter, pulling out a stepping stool from the side. The two perched atop it, looking down at the book as the enormity of what they were about to do reached them.

"Mom and Dad are gonna be SO pissed." She whispered, Hunter nodding.

"Not to mention Grandpa North." Gulped Hunter. "Auntie Tooth and Uncle Sandy aren't going to like this either…" Taking a deep breath, Joy touched the book.

"Nobody will tell me." She said. "Sorry Mom, Dad, but if I don't, you never will."

"What won't we do?" Both kits turned around to find their Mother, leaning on his staff, looking exceedingly angry, nails clicking on the wood of his staff. Hunter and Joy looked like a pair of deer caught in the headlights, unable to move, unable to speak. After a few moments, Jack let out a long sigh, rubbing his temples.

"You were eavesdropping again, weren't you?" he sighed. Guiltily Joy nodded. Jack turned to Hunter. "And you're just trying to help your sister, am I right?"

"Yes sir." Said Hunter quietly. To their surprise, Jack merely gave them a sad little smile.

"You need a guardian to open up that book." He said, floating up next to them.

"Are you going to-"

"No I'm NOT going to open this. I don't want North to ream me a new one either." Joy couldn't hide the sad look in her face, ears drooping. "I'm going to tell you, and whether Aster likes it or not you deserve to know. Now, out. I don't want to be around when Phil and Fred wake up. Just because I'm allowed in here doesn't mean they won't toss us into a snowdrift."

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Jack pulled the cord on Joy's bedside lamp, Joy and Hunter sitting on the mattress expectantly, like they did so many years ago waiting for a bedtime story.

"You want to know why you and Pitch have a connection, right?"

"Yes." Said Joy, nodding. "And why Dad got so angry. What did he do? You weren't together when he tried to make everyone stop believing!"

"Yeah." Said Hunter. "It doesn't make sense." Jack sat himself between them, a cool breeze blowing softly through their fur.

"Your Father and I, as you all know, have a history of…um…"

"Going at each other like starving rabid wolves?" snorted Joy.

"For arguments sake, he needs to lighten up, but we were never really on the best terms, even when I became a Guardian."

"Why?" asked Hunter.

"Well, you know about the blizzard of 68…" coughed Jack.

"And how you did it to get Dad's attention!" said Joy. "Because you liked him!"

"Then he got really mad and chased you halfway around the world!" said Hunter, grinning.

"And I did something that only made it worse." Said Jack. "When Pitch tried to take over the world. Back when I had no memory of who I was when I was alive. He tricked me by dangling my memories in front of me, and because of his taunting I wasn't there to protect the egglets. Because of me, Easter was ruined that year and all the children stopped believing. Your Father almost punched me, and honestly I would have deserved it. I flew off to Antarctica, and was about to toss the teeth into the ocean when Pitch showed up."

"What does this have to do with me?" asked Joy.

"I'm getting there." Said Jack. "As I was saying, Pitch showed up and asked me to join him. I almost said yes. He was so convincing, using my fears against me as we fought. While we fought, we created a huge sculpture of black sand and spiked ice, and I knew what would happen if I agreed. He said 'nothing goes better than cold and dark', and though I wanted nothing more than to know who I used to be, and have believers, I knew what he wanted. I didn't want to e feared. When I refused, he had me trade my staff for Babytooth. He threw both of us into a chasm, and snapped my staff in too. Babytooth showed me my memories, and I finally got the kick in the butt I needed to fight. The rest, you all know. But five years later, Pitch came back."

"But you beat him, right?" asked Hunter.

"I didn't." said Jack. "I had never seen whatever they were before, and no matter how hard I fought, they kept coming. Eventually hey took my staff, and managed to dig their claws in. After that, everything went black. When I finally woke up, I was held prisoner by Pitch, and he was forcing my power under his will."

"How?!" demanded Joy. "Why didn't you fight then?"

"First off, I was barely strong enough to sit up. Him pulling my powers weakened me a lot, especially without my staff." Explained Jack. "Second, he had infected me with a fearling, and that was draining me as well. And even if I was strong, I couldn't."

"Why not?" asked Hunter.

"Well, the first thing I noticed was shadowed barbs were poised over my stomach, and I had somehow managed to get fat." He chuckled. "But, it didn't feel like fat. But, it DEFINITELY felt like my Mother's stomach when she was pregnant with my little sister Rose, back when I was human. Of course, I started freaking out, even more so when Pitch flat out told me I was actually pregnant. Not exactly the first thing you want to hear coming out any type of coma. He told me it was his, and that slowly the fearling would turn it into a horrible monster, a true nightmare."

"What happened?!" exclaimed Joy. "Did it-"

"No." said Jack. "And you're jumping ahead. I knew it was dangerous, and that thanks to my inability to ward off Pitch, something that could destroy the guardians would be born. But, I couldn't bring myself to even TRY to end it. Even though all I had to do was try to run, and Pitch's shadows would kill the baby, I couldn't. Even if it would become a horrible monster, it was still mine, and a child. I couldn't and wouldn't do anything to hurt it. But, it turns out Pitch was lying. While I was under control of the Fearling, he found a loop hole to make his plan happen. The Moon made it impossible for any child of mine to be part of Pitch, so he had a nightmare sneak into the Warren and get a clip of fur from a completely unaware grumpy old Pooka."

"Fur?" started Hunter. "Why Dad's fur?"

"Because he could get DNA from it." said Jack. "While I could never have Pitch's child, there was still a way for me to bring a true nightmare into the world, and that way was to have me carry your Father's kit, and infect it with the fearling while it grew and developed. For months, I believed every lie he told me, and finally, just before Easter, your Aunt Tooth, Uncle Sandy, Grandpa North and Father broke out a full on assault on Pitch. Aster came after me first, and while forcing me to take a medicine to kill the fearling in both me and the kit, told me everything. Unfortunately, I wasn't really listening. The kit decided it was an excellent time to come in the middle of a battle field. So, you're Father got us out of the palace and away from Pitch, and the kit was born. We had no idea if the medicine had gotten to it yet."

"What next?" asked Joy, getting a suspicion as to where this was going.

"We had a beautiful baby girl, completely free from the fearling, with fluffy white fur and blue eyes." Said Jack. "The reason you have a connection to Pitch is because of him, you were born. He was going to use you as a weapon, and that fate was only narrowly avoided." Joy was silent, having curled in on herself. Jack ran his fingers through her fur soothingly, feeling her shake.

"So…Joy was going to be Nightmare?" said Hunter.

"Even if she turned out that way, we'd still love her." Said Jack. "What Pitch did was evil, but no matter his intentions I will never regret being caught by him. Because I got my little snow bunny out of it. Neither Aster or I could ever hope things had turned out differently. Even though you were born out of Pitch's revenge, we still love you as much as we love Hunter, Emma, Rose or Nick. You're our baby girl, and no matter what we will always love you more than life itself, got it?" Joy peeked up at er Mother, eyes watering. Jack told Hunter to go to his own room, and wisely Hunter left. As he shut the door he heard his sister's voice crack, loud sobs echoing from the room.

Meanwhile, in his hole under the bed, Pitch growled happily. He looked at the snowy white Pooka, Jack hugging his daughter tightly, trying to hug away the tears.

"Such delicious fear. So vulnerable, so WEAK." He snickered. He glanced at his army of nightmares. "I believe we may be able to kill two birds with one stone." The nightmares screeched, filling the air with shrill screams.


	3. Chapter 3

Joy woke up snuggled up to her Mother, Jack's slow, gentle breaths betraying he was still asleep, hugging her to him. She heard the door open, quiet footsteps crossing the room. A grey paw gently shook her Mother, and Joy quickly shut her eyes.

"Jack, you got to get up." Whispered her Father. "We got a lock on Pitch. Mrs. Clause is watching the kits."

"I'm not sure I should have told her." Sighed Jack, kissing her head before getting up.

"I'm not happy about it." said Aster. "But, maybe it is better to tell her now than when she's much older. Little sheila probably hates us right now."

"She has no reason too." Said Jack. "We can't correct the past. Who knows how it would affect the future if we could?" She heard the door shut, and cautiously rose. She had no idea how long she had been sitting in bed, but soon the door creaked open.

"Joy…Mrs. Clause is worried about you." Said Hunter. Suddenly Emma and Rose bounded through, hopping onto the bed, giggling like mad men.

"Joy! Come play!" whined Emma, tugging on her sisters arm, Rose on the other.

"No! Color with me!" demanded Rose.

"Go play." Said Joy. "Leave me alone." Hunter let out a sigh, Nick hopping in as he flicked on the light.

"You're still bothered by last night, aren't you?" he asked.

"Do you think I'd just be OKAY with this?!" she snapped. Nick flinched, eyes watering as his ears went flat. Sighing, Joy picked up her youngest brother, letting him sniffle into his fur.

"No, but I thought you would have at least come out." He said. "If it helps, you're still my annoying older sister. It really doesn't matter to me. Doesn't seem to bother Mom or Dad either, or anyone else but you."

"Why's Joy sad?" asked Rose.

"I don't like it." said Emma, gripping Joy's arm.

"They think I hate them." Said Joy. Hunter nodded, giving her a thoughtful look.

"Do you?" asked Hunter. "Do you hate Mom and Dad?" Joy shook her head.

"No, I-"

"Then quit moping!" said Hunter. "So Pitch had a hand in your existence. You are nothing like him! You wouldn't burn down our home, or try to hurt us or Mom. You wouldn't kidnap someone and use psychological torture against them, and you wouldn't attack children in general. You're making Mom freak out and Dad worry, not to mention scaring everyone else. Now, Mrs. Clause is making hot cocoa, and she wants you downstairs, NOW."

"Don't tell me off." Huffed Joy, glaring at Hunter. Hunter's paws went up.

"Don't shoot the messenger Powder Puff."

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!" Joy lunged At Hunter, who quickly hopped out of the way. Joy was about to take another shot at him when the alarms rang in the globe room.

"What the-" began Hunter, Joy peeking out the door. Slipping out, she snuck to the railing, and looked down on the globe room. Black sand slithered about the globe, dropping bodies from it's jaws and pinning them against the walls.

"It's been so long since I saw the big five together." Chuckled a dark voice. "I'm practically star struck. But…you've gone soft. I wonder why that is, hmm? But, for another date. I've waited a long time for this moment." Pitch hadn't yet seen Joy or Hunter, Emma and Rose hidden under the banister with Nick, but Sandy had, as had the rest of the guardians. Sandy lashed out with a sand whip, the tip ripping free as Pitch effortlessly countered the attack, the little gold piece morphing to a bird and going pas the kit's ears.

_Run!_ Joy watched, unable to move while Pitch laughed, pulling her Mother from the wall and dropping him on the ground, taking his staff.

"Powerless without your little stick." Chuckled Pitch. "I beat you pretty badly, I wonder…" Jack let out a choked gasp as Pitch dg his nails into the staff, smiling.

"Go to Hell Pitch." Growled Jack. "The darkest corner is even to good for you."

"Sad." Said Pitch. "We could have defeated the Guardians together, but no. You refused to hurt your precious rabbit. I even gave you another chance. The brat would have been a mighty Nightmare, and everything could have been cold and dark. Oh well. How does it feel, rabbit? Your mate is about to die, and there isn't a thing you can do." Aster struggled against the sand, but the darkness was too malleable, all his movements only further tightening his bonds.

"You can't kill an immortal." Laughed North.

"Want a bet?" A loud snap, followed by a blood curdling scream broke through the air, the staff snapped neatly in too, Jack falling to the ground, shaking in agony. Joy felt something bubble up in her chest, Hunter pulling their younger siblings to the hall.

"Joy!" he hissed. "We have to go!" Pitch formed an arrow of black sand, aiming at Jack.

"Take a good look Jack Frost." He cackled. "Because you will NEVER wake up from this nightmare." As Pitch loosed the arrow, time seemed to slow. Joy felt a growl build in her throat, and lunged at Pitch, loosing her boomerangs.

"Don't touch my Mom!" she screamed, hitting the sand arrow off course and knocking the broken staff out of Pitch's hand. The distraction was all the guardians and yetis needed to break loose from their bonds, another set of boomerangs striking Pitch in the head while Joy caught her own. She landed with a dull thump next to the railing, and dashed over to her parents. Aster stood in front of Jack, deflecting nightmare sand while Jack slammed the broken halves of his staff together, blue light encasing the damage.

"Get OUT Joy!" yelled Aster, Jack standing with the aid of his staff.

"No!" she said. Suddenly a tentacle of dream sand slammed into the ground, knocking everybody a few feet back. Pitch chuckled, putting a swirling wall of nightmare sand around Joy.

"If it isn't my one true failure." He chuckled, catching her boomerangs as she threw. She could hear the guardians and her parents try to get through, Pitch creating another arrow.

"One down, five to go." The arrow came loose, rocketing towards Joy. Something cold slammed into her, hugging her tightly as the arrow lodged itself deep. But, there wasn't any pain. Joy opened her eyes, seeing identical blue back in her own, black sand creeping up his face.

"Mom-"

"Rose Haven." Whispered Jack to a portal, smashing it into the ground, shoving Joy through with his staff before falling, the black arrow buried in his back, body slowly disintegrating to black sand, vision blurring out. The last thing she heard was her own scream, before the darkness dragged her down.

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__ "Is she okay?" said a familiar male voice.

"She will be." Said a woman's voice from the darkness. "She had quite a shock. I don't think she'll sleep easy for a while, even with Sandy."

"Why wouldn't she run?" groaned the voice.

"She's brave and stubborn, just like you and Jack."

"Mom…" Joy opened her eyes, seeing light and foliage. She felt a big paw on hers, another on her arm.

"Oh sweet MiM." Sighed the male voice, relieved. Joy's vision focused, seeing her Father with a good chunk ripped from his ear, bandages wrapped around his forearms and middle.

"Daddy…where's Mom?" she asked, searching for Jack. "Is he with Hunter?" Aster shook his head, squeezing her paw. Jack's staff sat against a wall, Mother Nature growing white lilies at it's base. She looked at her with a pitying gaze, tear streaks in her Father's fur. Slowly the nightmare returned, her body shaking as she remembered Pitch firing his arrow at her heart, though it soon found a new mark.

"Your Mom…" began Aster, unsure what to say. Finally he sighed. "Jack's gone. Pitch…" Joy shivered.

"It's my fault." She whispered. "Mom's dead, and it's my fault."

"Joy-"

"It is!" yelled the white Pooka. "I didn't listen. Because of me, Mom died!" She curled into a ball under the sheets, small sobs racking her body.

"It's not your fault." Said Aster, rubbing her side. "Pitch fired the arrow, not you. Jack is…was a big boy. He made his own decision. It's not your fault." Joy didn't stop sobbing, her Father's words only digging the knife deeper.

"Aster-"

"I'm not going to let her think she's a monster like Pitch." Hissed Aster. "When I get my paws on that son of a-" The sound of wailing came from down the hall, the voice registering to Joy as Nick.

"Are you sure you'll be fine?" asked Mother Nature. "He's too young to understand his Mother isn't coming. Maybe-"

"Keep them away from Pitch." Ordered Aster. "North is right. It's impossible to kill an immortal. Until we can find out how to kick that sorry bastard's ass and bring back Jack, these five are not to leave this building. I will not let him get them too."

"You know you can' take Pitch now." Said Mother Nature. "Jack's gone, and-" The door shut, Mother Nature following Aster out. After a long hour, Joy was finally able to look at her Mother's staff. It was strange, seeing no ice or frost on the wood, no pale hand holding it tightly. So often he had flew about with her in his arms, giving her ride after ride on the wind.

_"Faster Mommy! Faster!"_

_ "You want fast? Don't let go!"_

Her Father would worry, scold them like a Mother hen, and soon they'd go back inside, warm in the burrow. How many times had the old staff been used to ward away hers and Hunter's bad dreams?

_"It's okay." Murmured Jack, both kits snuggled up to him in Joy's bed, barely enough room with Jack's rounded stomach. "It was just a bad dream. Daddy, your little brother or sister and I aren't going anywhere."_

_ "But-but it was scary!" squeaked Hunter, Joy nodding into her Mother's warm sweater._

_ "Really scary!" agreed Joy. "And the thing was tapping the window! The monster was gonna get us!"_

_ "Really?" said Jack. "Do you know what all monsters are scared of?" Both kits shook their heads. Suddenly snow began to fall in the bedroom, both kits giggling as the soft flakes melted on contact with their fur._

_ "Snow!" said Hunter._

_ "Do you know why monsters are scared of snow?"_

_ "Why?"_

_ "Because monsters are no fun, and snow IS fun!"_

_ "But, you say Daddy isn't fun. Is he a monster?!"_

_ "No. Daddy is just the grumpy old Easter Kangaroo."_

_ "I heard that Frostbite!"_

"Joy?" Joy turned to see Hunter at the door, green eyes still a bit red. "Are you okay? Everyone left."

"Do you know where Mother Nature keeps the portals?" asked Joy, rubbing her own eyes.

"Why?" asked the gray kit, not liking where this was going.

"Because I'm going to need them." She picked up her Mother's staff, hopping out of the room, Hunter following with Emma and Rose not far behind, Nick clinging to Emma's back.

"_We're_ going to need them ya drongo." Huffed Hunter. "I know that look. You're going to do something stupid."

"So don't drag yourself into it."

"You're my sister." He said. "Besides, I'll just get dragged into it anyway. If you're going after Pitch, we need to know more about him-"

"How did you-"

"Who ELSE would you want to smite right now?" snorted Hunter.

"We wanna help too!" said Rose, Emma nodding as she caught up.

"Help! Help! Help!" yelled Nick.

"Then you know where we gotta go." Said Joy, Hunter pulling a portal out of a cabinet. "We're gonna need weapons as well as your books."

"Santoff Claussen." Whispered Hunter, smashing the portal to the ground.


	4. Chapter 4

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE! **__**This Text means speech in the recordings, **_**This text means action in recordings.**

The halls of Santoff Claussen were silent and bare, the workshop moved to the emergency location of Rose Haven, Mother Nature's home. But, since Pitch was physically incapable of entering the Hall of Records, everything there remained; including the reserves of weapons North stashed in case of emergencies.

"Shhh!" hissed Joy, Emma stepping on a forgotten toy. The place was cold and dark, not a soul inside other than the five Pookas. Joy shivered, cool air running past them, ruffling their fur.

"Wind-" a familiar sound of crackling ice reached their ears, Joy's head turning in the direction.

"Calm down Jack." Purred a sinister voice. "Your power is mine now."

"Mom…?" Joy peeked around the corner, looking into the globe room. Pitch was seated in North's great throne, stroking a tentacle of black sand, the darkness now infused with ice blue. The sand seemed to have gained a wisp of consciousness, feebly trying to break free from the Shadow King. Scowling, Pitch dug his nails into the sand, wincing as the sand calmed down.

"Don't be like that." He scolded. "I've said it before; nothing goes better than cold and dark. I gave you the chance to join me willingly, now I'm taking it by force. You're trapped, but look at the bright side; when we raid the stupid guardians, your power will be their destruction. And your brats…you're going to kill them, and you're powerless to stop it."

"The sand…" whispered Joy. "Mom's in the sand!" Pitch turned, the kits jumping out of sight before he caught them. Pitch stared a moment, but dismissed the noise as the wind through the halls.

"But how do we get him out?!" whispered Hunter.

"I hate to admit this, but we need to get to the library." She shuddered. "Ew, books…"

"I got it covered." Chuckled Hunter, slipping towards the Hall of Records, Emma, Rose and Nick right behind him with Joy bringing up the rear. When they finally reached the wing, they found the doors broken, but still standing tall, like Pitch had tried to force his way in and failed. Hunter oiled the door hinges, standing on Joy's shoulders to reach the top hinges. Gingerly he stepped down, and both Joy and Hunter pulled on the door. Silently the door slipped open, revealing the tidy hall the two had visited the night before last.

"Wow…" said Nick, big eyes wide with wonder. Emma set Nick down on a chair as Joy plucked the big book from the pedestal.

"How do we open it?" asked Emma, Rose poking the book. Joy looked at her Mother's staff, an idea forming.

"Mom said we needed a guardian." Said Hunter. "But there's more than one way to skin a cat, even if the comparison is horrid."

"Maybe…" began Joy, turning the staff in her hand, the stick seeming to have a life of it's own. Gently, she tapped the cover with the bottom of the staff. Hunter sighed as the book remained the same, no rustling in it's ancient pages to betray they had succeeded in opening it.

"Maybe something in here will-" Suddenly a loud crack came from the book, tendrils of frost slowly spreading across the cover, settling in almost invisible grooves to form the insignia of the guardians, the clasp opening with a metallic click.

"Wow!" said Rose. "Joy is a guardian!"

"No." said Joy. "It's Mom. When Pitch snapped it, remember? Mom hurt, like Pitch broke something in him."

"So the staff is Mom?" asked Emma.

"A part of him." Said Hunter. "Now that I think of it, he always taps things with it. North must have designed the lock to recognize Mom's staff." Joy opened the book, revealing blank pages.

"What?!" exclaimed Joy. "It's empty!" Hunter rolled his eyes.

"It's enchanted, idiot. You have to ask it a question. You know, like looking something up in the dictionary." Joy looked doubtfully at Hunter. Sighing, Hunter turned the book to him.

"History of Pitch Black and the Guardians." The pages began to glow, a shimmering orb hovering above the pages.

_**"The Moon chose us all."**_

"Grandpa North!" said Nick, clapping at the familiar voice.

_**"In the beginning, there was only the Man in the Moon, Sandman and Pitch Black. Humans were simple, basic. They had no time for Wonder, Hope, Memory or Fun. They only needed to survive. But, as humans changed, became intelligent, the old ways died. Mother Nature and Father Time were made, to preserve the order and balance of the growing world. But Pitch Black began to fade. More was being found, and less was to be feared. It was then he brought a great weapon, breaking the only rule of the Moon; to physically harm a living thing was forbidden. The Black Death spread across Europe, killing off millions. It was then, the Man in the Moon created us, the Guardians."**_

"Pitch spread the bubonic plague!?" exclaimed Hunter. "How in the-"

"Shut up!" said Joy, the book's page turning.

_**"Sandy was the first Guardian, the Guardian of Dreams. For many years, he kept Pitch in check. Time passed, and the people soon began to forget Pitch and fear. But the peace was short-lived. Soon it was not only humans bearing the brunt of Pitch's rage. The Pooka were his next victims, leading humans to their secluded Warrens with lies of blood thirsty beasts. All were slaughtered and burned, buck, doe and kit alike, until nothing was left. Man in Moon, seeing Sandy was no longer enough to contain the dark, chose the second Guardian; Toothiana, the Guardian of Memory. Some believe it was in honor of the now long forgotten Pooka, their blood sacrifice at the hands of the dark. For hundreds of years, Tooth and Sandy battled Pitch, until they too were unable to stop him."**_

"Daddy…" murmured Emma. "Pitch hurt Daddy?"

_**"Pitch was, thankfully, stopped before he could do his damage. Man in Moon would not repeat his error, and before Pitch could strike he chose myself, Nickolas St. North as the third Guardian, the Guardian of Wonder. As we grew stronger, Pitch grew weaker. He fled with the first colonists, to the harsh and unforgiving land of what is now North America. For short decades, we heard nothing, until we discovered the fourth Guardian, the Guardian of Hope, and the last remaining Pooka. With the help of our new ally, E. Aster Bunnymund or as children know him, the Easter Bunny, we were able to send Pitch into hiding for centuries. For years, things were peaceful, and the four of us became closer. The world grew, Hope, Wonder, Dreams and Memory keeping the Dark at bay. The only disturbance in the peace came, not as a result of Pitch as we had expected and in the form of minor annoyances, from the weather. We only knew Old Man Winter had gotten another spirit, but come the Easter of 68', the name Jack Frost would be well known by all of us, and the boy would weasel under Bunny's fur and become the bane of Bunny's existence. Unfortunately, Jack was as willing to take oath as Bunny to admit Christmas is superior to Easter. Nonetheless, it was Jack Frost who saved us from Pitch, and kept the last light glowing when the world stopped believing, even when we abandoned him again. Pitch is adaptive, but as Fear can change, Fun is always the best defence against it. Jack needs no believers to be strong, unlike Tooth, Bunny, Sandy or I. He will not fade when the children no longer believe, like Sandy.**_

_** Pitch has always favored the dark. The key to defeating him is to keep him away from a shadow, and attack in numbers. Beware. He can use your greatest fears to control you. He controls nightmares, and like spirits of Nature will not fade or weaken without belief. His strength is fear, and he will feed off it like a leech. If you are hearing this passage, then the Guardians have failed. Pitch has defeated or destroyed us, and you are the last thing standing between Pitch and the children. They must be protected. They are that we are, and all that we ever will be."**_

"Whoa…" murmured Joy. "Dad is OLD."

"I think the point was we are royally screwed." Said Hunter, jabbing her in the shoulder. "No way we can beat that! If the Guardians can't, how can we?" A loud bang came from behind, Nick laying flat on a green and blue book.

"Nick!" sighed Joy, picking up her youngest brother. "Be careful! You could have-"

"Lookit!" he said, book, a glow coming from it.

_**"North is gonna kill me for this, but it has to be recorded."**_ The kits stared, hearing the voice of their Mother from the orb.

"Mom…?"

_**"Nick was just born last week, Joy is thirteen, Hunter is twelve, and Emma and Rose are now five. The Moon spoke to me last night, about them. He's never been clear to me, and never answered my questions before, but this was abundantly clear, and told me not to breath a word of his to anyone. I don't know what he's planning, but if anything happens to my babies I swear to God MiM will have his rocky ass served to him on a silver platter. He told me Pitch will return soon, but didn't tell me when. All he said was make sure they're ready. For what, I don't know, but if MiM told me over North, he must have a good reason. When whatever MiM foretold happens, I just hope we did a good enough job preparing them. But, I think they'll be fine no matter what I do. Joy is turning into such a strong, independent young lady. She's so much like me it's scary, but definitely has her Father's talent with a paint brush and boomerangs. Hunter is almost too responsible, but in a way someone has to be. He loves his books, and probably knows more than I do already. He's always working things out with North, and as much as Aster complains about his love of Christmas and inventing, he couldn't be prouder. Emma and Rose are so much alike, but so different. Emma reminds me so much of my Mother when I was human, obsessed with propriety and perfection, is always so polite and already has so much artistic talent. Rose, on the other hand, is as hyper as the BabyTeeth on Red Bull, and sneakier than a snake. Both of them are amazing actresses, and already love theater. Nick is very quiet, so quiet it scares me. Sometimes I don't know if he's dead, asleep, or just staring. Something tells me he'll be a soft-spoken genius when he's older. As North would say, 'I veel it in my belly'. For now, until MiM decides the others need to know, I'll hide this from them. MiM says things for a reason, and if keeping this knowledge a secret will protect my kits, I'll never breathe a word of it. I've set this book to play this if Pich's History is revealed, because that probably means MiM's warning came true. And if I'm right, and Pitch defeated the Guardians, right now all five of you are listening. Your Father loves you, I love you. Do your best, and Pitch won't know what hit him. You're stronger than you think, and I know you can kick his scrawny ass into the next century. Make us proud; do everything you can and you will not lose. I love you, and I'm sorry if I'm not around to tell you this myself."**_

The book closed on it's own, the lock snapping shut.

"…What are we supposed to do?" asked Rose. Joy picked up the Book and placed it back on it's pedestal.

"What Mom said." She replied. "We fight."

"In case you haven't noticed, we aren't exactly Guardian material." Said Hunter. "Nick is _two_. Emma and Rose, no offence but you freak out at worms! I have asthma and you already proved you can't handle Pitch on your own Joy! What the Hell is the Moon thinking?!"

"Well, it's what everyone would want us to do!" A loud crack came from behind, cracks forming in the statues.

"What's happening?" asked Rose, ears flat as she backed into a shelf with Nick and her twin. Joy shuddered, looking at the cracks in her Mother's statue as similar imperfections wound their way through Tooth's statue.

"He's destroying the Guardians..." She whispered, fur standing on end.


	5. Chapter 5

"But…he can't kill an immortal…" said Hunter. "And he's right here!"

"The nightmares." Said Joy. "He's attacking the roots of their power. He's gone after the children! Immortals cannot die, but they can fade."

"Wait, then why don't WE fade?" asked Rose. "We aren't spirits of nature, and we have no believers."

"Except for uncle Jamie and aunt Sophie." Said Hunter, Joy freezing. "Pitch doesn't have the power to hurt an adult though."

"He does now that he has Mom." Said Joy. "What's he going to do with him?! Obviously he's not just taking Pitch's influence. Pitch has be trying to get full control."

"Sand!" Nick was pushing a big bag of Sandy's dream sand to his siblings, carrying one of their Father's boomerangs.

"If mom's part of the sand, can he do what he did with Sandy?"wondered Emma. "Take full control?" Hunter shook his head.

"Mom isn't sand, nor does he control it." He said. "The sand alone shouldn't be able to take him over like Pitch did to Sandy." Joy opened up the large weapon storage, seeing rows of knives, swords and daggers, Tooth's razor sharp quills, enough dream sand to drown a herd of elephants, boomerangs bearing barbs and blades, and glittering snowflakes, their edges sharp enough to cut through a solid titanium pole with a good throw. Full body armor was carefully stored in the back, as well as extreme weather equipment, four heat suits and some kind of cold suit.

"Cool." Said Joy, looking at the boomerangs and snowflakes while Hunter opted for more traditional swords and knives. Emma and Rose both chose small daggers and vials labeled with different warnings. Nick had found some egg bombs, Hunter setting up the small colorful things to his little armor harness. Emma touched a snowflake and squealed, recoiling quickly.

"Cold." She said, Joy holding a flake with her brow raised.

"It feel fine to me." She said.

"Because you have that affinity to ice, like Mom." Said Hunter. "We're more geared towards spring. Come on, we have to get out of here." Joy shouldered a few sets of barbed boomerangs, a pack of egg bombs and a belt of snowflakes, grabbed her Mother's staff and slipped towards the door. Cautiously she sniffed about and perked her ears. Nothing, save for the scent of fear and the sound of slithering sand, as it was when they entered.

"Come on." She whispered, slowly leading her siblings out. As Hunter closed the door, they heard a dark chuckle.

"I knew you'd return." A shadow to the right moved, Joy pulling out her boomerangs as she trained her eyes on the dark figure. A lean man with ashen gray skin slid forth, black sand tainted with glittering blue swirling around him angrily. He chuckled, as if the sight of the five Pookas was amusing.

"Give back our Mother." Said Hunter, shakily holding a knife at the ready, joining his sister.

"Ah, fear." He sighed, taking a deep inhale. "It's been so long, but your fear smells like your Father's. So many years ago…if watching the pain wasn't so amusing, I would have killed him too. Burning your Warren brought back such good memories...burning them alive was how I ended your Grandparents you know. Fitting, that I'll use ice to destroy you."

"You know as well as I do you can't control Mom's powers." Hissed Joy, fur on the back of her neck rising.

"But I will soon." He chuckled. "I only need eight ingredients, and you know of the four I have. Now, which four to pick?" The black sand inched forward, the blue seeming to slow it down.

"One step closer and I end you." Snarled Joy, ready to spring. Pitch laughed.

"O, like you did last time?" he chuckled. "Because of you, your Mother is as good as dead, nightmare. Not that he MEANT to save you. After all, you ARE their personal nightmare. Unloved, unwanted…your Mother wishes he never spawned you."

"That's not true." Said Hunter.

"Really?" chuckled Pitch. "You're not much better. Your Father is the Easter Bunny, yet you hold a deep love of Christmas? You can't even run without an inhaler, or paint a pathetic egg. You're a failure. You're weak. They are ashamed of their worthless little North wannabe." The sand inched closer, nearing Emma, Rose and Nick's feet, Pitch's taunts distracting Hunter and Joy. Nick whimpered, clinging to Rose, the twins shivering as their back's touched the wall.

"Now, you three…you don't even HAVE a talent." He chuckled. "You are just a waste of space. It must be painful to be magical spirits, GUARDIANS, and yet have such pathetic, useless brats. You think Mommy loves you? Ha! He WANTS to kill you, freeze your little limbs off. But…I still need my ingredients." Rose shrieked, the sand grabbing her ankle and pulling, Emma and Nick screaming as the sand pulled at them as well, lifting them in the air as Hunter jumped to grab them. He managed to grab Nick, pulling him from the sand and throwing them both into the ground.

"Lemme go!" screeched Emma, thrashing wildly, Rose getting a determined look in her eye. Rocking back and Forth, she managed to grab the sand, opened her mouth, and bit down, HARD.

"GYAHHH!" Pitch dropped Rose, the sand convulsing in pain while he wrapped his grey hands around Emma's paws, holding her still. "You little BRAT!" A boomerang shot out, slicing through the black tentacle holding Emma, a mound of black sand falling to the floor, Emma dangling from Pitch's grasp. Joy jumped, firing egg bombs as the boomerang careened back, catching with one paw and firing it and its twin again in one fluid movement, Hunter grabbing Rose and handing Nick to her, shoving them back into the record room. Hunter halted as he shut the door, eyes narrowing at the pile of black sand. Tiny blue sparkles flickered in and out of sight, and he could have sworn nearly invisible blue sand lifted into the air and disappeared, leaving nothing but black behind. He squeaked, a black tentacle grabbing at his ankle and lifting him in the air.

"I can kill one of you." Snarled Pitch, blocking Joy's attacks while he stared down the gray Pooka. "You're pathetic Father may be immortal, but for now YOU'RE NOT!" Hunter's eyes widened as Pitch's nails grew, the bogey man pulling back his hand. He didn't think as his paws met the dagger handle, his arm seeming to move of it's own accord. Time seemed to slow as the grey hand moved forward. Hunter shut his eyes, and three screams filled the air as warm drops hit his face, the sound of crackling ice and a cold blast chilling the air around him. He hit the ground with a thump and heard his name, and only then did he dare open his eyes. Two of Pitch's fingers lay next to him, his dagger and fur wet with black blood, Joy down for the count with an icicle protruding from her hind leg.

"You little bastard!" hissed Pitch, blood running in rivers down his hand as a nightmare swirled around Emma's head. "I'll be back to RIP YOU TO SHREDS!" Hunter jumped up as Pitch began to disappear, Emma still bound in the sand. Hunter saw red, blood pumping in his ears.

"LET GO OF MY SISTER!" he screamed, dashing forward with speed Pitch had not anticipated, grabbing an egg bomb and firing with dead on accuracy while his other paw grabbed a sword. Hunter grunted as his sword dug into a wood pillar, the black sand disappearing on the down swing. He panted a moment, catching his breath before he was forced to grab his inhaler and take a puff. He heard the door open, and looked back as Rose cried out.

"Joy? Wake up!" Hunter pulled the sword free and sheathed it, hopping cautiously over to Joy. The icicle in her leg was tainted with black sand, though the amount was small.

"Go get me the medi-pack in the weapons closet." Commanded Hunter, examining his sister's wound. Rose nodded, leaving Nick with Hunter as she hopped back in. Soon she returned, Hunter taking the pack and drawing on the medical books he had read. He firmly grasped the icicle and took a deep breath.

"This is gonna hurt…" he said quietly, before yanking out the icicle. Joy's eyes shot open, an agonized scream filling all their ears. Silently Hunter cleaned up the blood and wound with peroxide, Joy wincing and twitching at the burn. Carefully Hunter stitched up the wound and wrapped it up, thankful the icicle hadn't caused tendon damage.

"Ow…" groaned Joy, nails digging into her hind leg as she gingerly sat up. She looked about, not seeing Emma anywhere. "Where's Emma?"

"Pitch." Said Hunter quietly, showing her the blood on his paws. "He got her when I cut off his fingers. I wasn't fast enough to get her." Joy's ears drooped and Nick started crying, demanding his absent older sister. Rose hugged him tightly, letting the two year old cry into her fur while her body shook with unshed tears for her twin, the separation unnatural to her. Joy looked at the blood and severed fingers, and finally the black sand on the floor.

"Hey…" she began. "There was blue in the-" Moonlight shone down from the ceiling, creating a bright beam in the globe room. The kits rushed down (Joy limping with her leg, leaning heavily on Hunter), staring at the glowing center of the Guardian symbol.

"Man in the Moon?" questioned Joy, looking up at the Moon. An image of Jack's staff appeared in the light, then a picture of the Burgess pond.

"Mom's staff and pond…" mused Hunter. "What do you mean?" An image of Pitch and nightmare sand filled with tiny dots came to life, the sand being sliced off and dots slowly going to the tentacles and vanishing with each sliced off arm. The little lights (now dark on the floor) floated to the pond, and disappeared in the water, a disk forming on the water until all the dots were in, the staff placed atop the disk. Finally, there was a picture of a person holding the staff, floating above the pond with a drawn hood and cape.

"That's how we can free Mom…" said Rose, eyes wide. "We have to cut away the sand!"

"So the lights, they DID come out of the sand…" mused Hunter, remembering the floating blue particles. Joy looked at the staff in her paws. She had grabbed it, tried to use it with her power and succeeded, but the result was not just an attack on Pitch. The staff rejected her, driving an icicle through her hind leg.

"We can save Mom." Said Hunter. "If we can save him, then we stand a chance."

"Did you catch that bit, abut Pitch knowing a way to control Mom's power?" asked Joy, looking at Hunter with a quizzical glare.

"Yeah, but-"

"He might know how we can free him too." She said. "And now we need to get Emma back."

"What about Spring, Summer and Fall?" asked Rose. "They might know how to help."

"Mom said not to go near them." Said Hunter.

"But they know the most about seasonal spirits, like Mom." Said Joy. "They might be able to help us get Mom from the sand without getting too close to Pitch." Hunter sighed, both girls nodding at their new plan.

"Theres a reason Mom didn't want us near them!" he said. "But… you two already decided, didn't you?" Joy and Rose nodded, Nick clapping happily. Hunter sighed as Joy limped to the globe.

"Hey globe!" she called, activating voice command. "Show us Spring, Summer and Fall!" A pink, green and red dot appeared on the globe, all in the southern hemisphere. Summer, the pink dot, was in Australia. Spring seemed to be close to the equator in Brazil, Fall in Peru.

"Which one first?" asked Hunter, arms crossed.

"Fall." Said Joy. "She's been around the longest." Rose took a portal from Hunter's pack, only to fumble and nearly drop it when Nick jumped down.

"Tunnel!" he said, stopping one foot twice. A small rumble came from the ground, a hole opening in the Earth. Joy, Hunter and Rose stared at Nick a moment, the two year old clapping happily at his accomplishment.

"Dad would have KILLED to see that." Said Hunter, smiling as Rose picked up Nick and made him cling to her back, hopping into the hole behind Joy. Hunter looked about once more, shivering at the black blood on the floor before following his sisters. For some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom.


	6. Chapter 6

"What do ya mean the kits left?!" demanded Aster, glaring at Mother Nature. The remaining members of the Big Five were locked up and chained to the walls of a large cell, leaving four available spaces. Mother Nature was locked into a hanging cage nearby, significantly weakened by the nightmare assault.

"I went back to check on them after you left and I heightened the defences." She said. "They got to my snow globes and disappeared. I think they went back to Santoff Claussen. Joy wasn't taking Jack's death well. I was going to head after them, but then Pitch attacked. I sent the last of my forces to Tooth's palace and called the other seasons before they captured me. They're looking for them now. Don't worry, they're smart kids, especially Hunter. They'll keep each other safe."

"Don't count on it." All heads turned to see Pitch, nightmare sand twisting around a squirming calico Pooka kit, tears in her terrified green eyes. None too gently, Pitch threw Emma into the guardian's cage, sand binding her with chains in the process. Aster saw red, seeing small cuts on his little girl, a low growl building in his throat.

"Daddy!" Emma, tripping over the chain around her left hind leg, bounded over to her Father, pressing herself as deep into his fur as she could go. He pushed his rage aside for a moment, instead sniffing over Emma, checking her small injuries.

"Attacking us is one thing." Hissed Tooth, still strong thanks to her mini fairies collecting the teeth for her. "But a child?! This is low Pitch, even for you."

"Oh, don't fear that." Growled Pitch. "Soon, all but one of them will be joining you. Now, whichever one that is…You may want to plan the funeral, rabbit."

"If ya so much as TOUCH a hair on my kits' heads, I will personally rip ya to shreds you bloody-" Pitch laughed, prowling about the cage.

"Nice try, rabbit, but you know as well as I do that's not going to happen." Chuckled Pitch. "You are going to help me take control of Jack Frost's powers, whether you like it or not. Only three more ingredients, and even Man in the Moon cannot stop me!" Mother Nature narrowed her eyes.

"What happened to your hand, Pitch?" she asked. "Couldn't escape from a bunch of Pooka kits unharmed?" The guardians stared at his missing fingers, eyes wide in shock.

"They stand no chance. Nobody can defeat fear."

"Liar!" said Emma, glaring at Pitch from the safety of her Father's arms. "Hunter chopped off your fingers, cause he's not scared of you! NONE of us are scared of you! And when my big brother and sister get you you're gonna cry like a little baby while they beat ya to a bloody pulp!" Aster smiled at Emma's bravery, even though she shook like a leaf. Just like Jack, she wasn't giving an inch. The thought was both a comfort, and sent a wave of pain through his already beaten and broken chest, hear clenching in sorrow and anger. Pitch stalked off, leaving the spirits to themselves. Aster noticed Emma was tugging at his fur, big green eyes looking up at him.

"He's a liar." She said.

"He is, but what makes ya think that?" asked Aster, still hugging his daughter tightly.

"Cause he said you and Mommy don't love us." She said, sniffling. "He said lots of mean things. He said Mommy wants to kill us and that you wished we weren't born, and you don't care about me, Nick or Rose cause we don't have any special powers like Hunter or Joy and-" Aster felt a fresh flare of rage as she listed off the insults, but quickly stored it away for later. Like when he ripped Pitch from the face of the Earth and beat the bogey out of the bogeyman.

"Smart little sheila." He said, nuzzling his daughter's head. "Yer Mother loved ya-"

"Nuhuh." Said Emma, shaking her head. "Mommy LOVES me, not loved!"

"Sweetheart, Jack is dead." Said Tooth soothingly. Emma furrowed her brow.

"Then why was he talking to Mommy when we got to Santoff Claussen?" she asked. "Cause he was talking to the sand and called it Mommy's name!" Sandy jumped, symbols going a mile a minute above his head.

"Slow down!" said North. "We can't understand." Sandy face palmed, and symbols formed slowly above his head.

_ Jack was absorbed, not killed. He's in the sand!_ Bunny couldn't move, a small blossom of hope beginning to grow in the black hole Jack's death punched in his heart.

"The blue flecks…" mused North, chuckling.

"Wait…" All eyes turned to Mother Nature. "No…This is bad…so very bad…"

"What?" asked Aster, struggling to stand on his broken leg.

"I think I know what Pitch is going to do." She said. "Sandy, you remember the last time he tried this. It was with Cupid. He absorbed her and reformed her in the forest she was born. Eight people, eight nightmares. It turned her into…something else…we had to take her out entirely. It took YEARS to repair the area."

"Cupid's a boy." Said Tooth.

"This was before most of your time." Said Mother Nature. "He wanted Cupid's powers over emotion, the first Cupid. He absorbed her into his sand at took four spirits and buried her in the garden she was born from. The worst nightmares of the eight are brought out in the ritual, and they taint the victim. Her soul was completely destroyed, but she turned evil as Pitch. He's planning to reform Jack into his minion!"

"Over my dead body." Growled Aster. Joy shifted, tugging at her right leg wrap. She pulled something out and gave it to Aster. Aster opened his paw and saw the diamond snowflake necklace he had given Jack before Hunter was born, a bit of nightmare sand stuck to the chain and a small dent in one of the branched, most likely from the fall, but otherwise undamaged. He looked at the pendant, feeling the little hope blossom grow a bit.

"I grabbed it when he caught me." She said. "Now, it won't get lost! Cause, then when we get Mommy back, he can have it and be happy, cause you know it's his favorite!" Aster fastened the silver chain around Emma's neck, the sparkling pendant bright against a white patch of her fur.

"Ya hang onto it." said Aster. "So it doesn't break when I kick Pitch's mangy arse into the next millennium." Emma nodded and hugged her Father tightly, refusing to let go. Aster looked worriedly at the other three chains, wondering which one of his children would hopefully escape unharmed, and which three would be joining them in the cages.

_ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROT-ROTG_

__ "Good job Nick!" exclaimed Joy, ignoring the pain in her leg as the four popped up in Peru.

"Tunnel! Dig, dig, dig!" replied Nick, clapping from his perch on Rose's back.

"Now what?" asked Hunter, sniffing the air.

"Daisy! Jesse! I found them!" The kits looked up to see a red haired woman, her hair cut into a spiky bob, brown eyes looking down on them with strong relief flying about with a staff similar to their Mother's, only this one had a few branches with red, yellow and orange leaves. "Report immediately!"

"Who are you?" called Rose as the woman landed in front of them.

"Autumn Harvest." She said, saluting. She was dressed in red skinny jeans and a long yellow top. She had an orange half hoodie that only covered her upper torso, the hood pulled back. In her hair were two apple hair clips, a pair of yellow converse on her feet with orange striped socks peeking over the top. "Or, just plain old Fall to most. We've never met, but your Mother and I bump into each other every years, get into the usual fight. Both of us are territorial, it's not pretty. Lets not go into details. Quite the buzz about you now. Half the spirit world is looking for ya."

"Why?" asked Joy.

"Well, for one Mother was flipping her lid about you vanishing, and more or less threatened Daisy, Jesse and I with death if we didn't search, the reports of Pitch Black kicking the Big Five's asses, and the rumor where Frosty is dead-"

"That's why we need your help!" said Hunter. "Mom isn't dead. Pitch absorbed him into the sand-" Fall paled.

"WHAT?!" she squeaked, grabbing Hunter and shaking him. "Do you know what happened the last time Pitch absorbed any spirit besides the Sandman?!" The kits shook their heads, Hunter pulling himself out of the stranger's grasp.

"What happened?" asked Joy.

"The cupid we all know now is the second Cupid." She shuddered. "He took eight spirits, put them in a nightmare, and used the malicious energy and fear to re-form the poor girl as his minion. Look, I don't like your Mom but…Mother Nature, Old Man Winter and Sandy had to actually kill her. Her soul was destroyed!"

"Oh, thank the rain!" said a gentle voice from above, another girl holding a staff with vines and flowers hovering above, descending to the ground followed by a boy with a smoldering staff. The girl had sunny blond hair held back with a pink ribbon and pale skin with big blue eyes like the sky. She wore a pink sundress with a white shrug and, like their mother, went shoeless. Butterflies and flowers sprung up around her, the insects seemingly drawn to her like a spring flower. The boy was wearing board shorts and a short-sleeved hoodie, rainbow spiked hair peeking out from under the hood, tanned skin showing and wild piercings everywhere. He tilted down his sunglasses and looked at the kits.

"THIS is what the fuss is about?" he snorted. "A couple of little bunnies?"

"Guys, this is bad." Said Autumn. "Pitch is repeating the Cupid incident with Frosty."

"Mom's name is Jack, actually." Piped Hunter.

"What?!" whispered the blond, eyes wide like a startled doe. "Jesse, this isn't good! I know you don't like Jack, but we can't let it happen again!"

"Frosty has been fine for three hundred years before he got involved with the guardians." Snorted Jesse, staff smoking. "Who cares?"

"I don't like the walking icicle either but you KNOW the balance will be thrown off. If the balance is thrown, all of us die, and then no more seasons you pig headed fool! Besides, HELLO! We may not be guardians, but we DO try and keep the kids safe! Theres supposed to be FIVE of them! What do you think happened?! That one had black blood on him! It's obvious Pitch is targeting them!"

"All the more reason NOT to get involved." Huffed Jesse. "Sorry, but I'm not putting my ass on the line for stupid Frosty." All eyes turned to Nick as he sniffed, fresh tears brimming in his eyes.

"M-M-Mama…" he whimpered.

"Come on ya prick!" hissed Autumn. "You're basically saying you won't let a little kid see their Mother again! You're making the little cutie CRY!" Both girls gave him a pleading face. Finally Jesse sighed.

"Fine." He huffed. "But you two are leaving me alone for the next half century in return!" Both girls nodded, Joy smiling brightly.

"Bad idea." Rasped a familiar voice, black sand shooting out of the shadows. "Stay out of this. Those kits are MINE." Hunter drew his sword, turning around to cover Rose and Nick.

"How did you find us?!" demanded Joy, Autumn, Jesse and Daisy taking a defensive stance as the black sand lashed out like a cobra.

"I smell your fear." Cackled Pitch. "So delicious…Now…which one to kill, which three to keep?"

"Stay away from them Pitch." Growled Autumn. "You know harming a child is one of the spirit world's greatest laws."

"I've KILLED children." Laughed Pitch. "What's one compared to another?!" Silently the three seasons exchanged a look, and nodded.

"Hold on." Said Daisy, grabbing Joy's paw while Jesse grabbed Hunter by the scruff of his neck, Autumn taking both Rose and Emma.

"You think a little touch circle can-"

"SCATTER!" yelled Autumn, all three spirits launching into the sky with their cargo. Rose screamed, bringing their attention to a swarm of nightmares lunging into their path, Pitch laughing maniacally.

Joy felt searing pain as a hoof ripped into her shoulder, Daisy pushing through the dark cloud with all the strength she had, flames licking about as Jesse tried to fight his way through as well, gusts of wind trying to clear a path for Autumn. Daisy cried out as she was struck by a nightmare, more bumping into them Joy felt the pain stop as her paw slipped from Daisy's hand. The last thing she heard before plunging into the water was her sibling's screams and Pitch's laughter, her head colliding with a rock, her Mother's staff slipping from her paw.

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__ "I have wonderful news!" cackled Pitch, hitting the cage harshly and waking the guardians. "Say hello to your new room mates!" The nightmares dragged in Rose and Hunter, Rose holding Nick tightly and as far as she could from the nightmares, the sand chaining all three to the wall. Rose was shivering, Nick sleeping in her arms, Hunter not seeming to notice the chains locking around his hind paw, black blood staining his fur.

"Rose!" Emma all but jumped on her twin, careful of Nick, but soon she backed away from their demeanor. She looked at her older brother, who merely sat with his back pressed against the cage bars. "Guys…what's wrong?"

"Sad you didn't take my advice, rabbit." Chuckled Pitch, smiling wickedly at Aster. "How about this for the tomb stone? Joy Bunnymund, yet another bunny too stupid to learn how to swim." Rose let out a choked sob, hugging Emma tightly while Aster lost all feeling.

"Joy-"

"Dead, dead, dead, dead, DEAD!" laughed Pitch. "And such a lovely parting gift!" Tooth stared in horror at Jack's staff, almost black with nightmare sand from Pitch's touch.

"No…" whispered Tooth, Bunny unable to breathe.

"Yes." Cackled Pitch. "Tomorrow, there is no moon. Tomorrow, the power of winter shall be mine to control!" The sobs of Mother Nature and the two kits rang through the air with Pitch's laughter, the nightmares whinnying with Pitch, the unearthly sound making the blood curdle in stranger's veins.


	7. Chapter 7

"Wake up fur ball!" Joy squeaked as a hand connected with the side of her face, her fur uncomfortably damp. Her eyes snapped open, Autumn looking down on her, Daisy peeking behind her shoulder.

"Oh thank MiM." Sighed Daisy, squinting with her black eye. She was thoroughly soaked, her sunshine blond hair hanging limp with water, dress drenched to a dark pink.

"Hey, thanks for NOT dying Snow-ball." Huffed Jesse. "You are one lucky little fur ball. Must be the rabbit's feet." Joy looked around, seeing only the three seasons around.

"Where are my-"

"Pitch." Sighed Autumn. "Daisy is the only one that made it through the cloud. Jesse and I couldn't hold on. While she pulled you out we lost your siblings."

"The up side is Pitch needs them alive now that he thinks your dead." Said Daisy quietly. "Tomorrow night there is no moon in the sky. We have until then before they are no longer useful to him."

"Frosty's power made him too strong for us to take." Huffed Jesse. "We'll need back up, someone who knows enough about his powers. MiM can't help us now."

"Hallow? April Fool?" suggested Daisy.

"No." said Autumn. "They wouldn't know any weaknesses, other than heat, and you KNOW he can trump you Jesse. We need a winter spirit."

"You're not actually suggesting-" began Daisy.

"Old Man Winter is our only choice, and her only chance." Sighed Autumn. "Maybe a few years at the bottom of Mount St. Helen will have evened him out."

"He's not going to help!" huffed Jesse. "You know what he did! He'll figure out it's her! In case you forgot, he HATES the Pooka, and tried to kill Snow-ball!"

"But he has a soft spot for other winter spirits." Said Daisy. "Besides, if we free him he'll owe us, and you KNOW how anal he gets with honor. He knows if Frosty dies, the balance will be put out. It's for his own good. Even he won't let Pitch get away with this. You remember how close he was to Cupid…" Joy looked about, sensing an untold story. But, she knew better than to prod at a time like this.

"Then we have to go get him." She said. Jumping to her feet, Joy sniffed the air, searching for the rabbit hole that would connect to the other tunnels.

"No way." Said Jesse, looking at the hole as Joy's ears perked up. "NOT going underground. Not now, not EVER!"

"It's the fastest way." Said Joy. "And Pitch won't look here. He thinks I…how close was I to dying?!"

"Daisy had to give you CPR." Said Autumn. "Lead the way…um…"

"Joy." Jesse snorted.

"Leave it to Frosty to name the kid after his job."

"You are SO lucky I need help, or else my boomerang would be wiping that grin off your face." Daisy giggled at the choked snort Jesse gave, glaring at the white Pooka as she slipped into the tunnel, bounding towards Mount St. Helen.

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Hunter couldn't sleep, instead staring out of the cage with a blank expression, not even shivering as a cold draft rustled his fur.

"Hunter, it's almost dawn." Hunter barely acknowledged his Father crouching next to him. "What are ya looking at anyway?"

"Nothing." Said Hunter. "I'm just thinking…"

"About…?"

"An escape route." Aster gave his oldest son a look.

"Escape?"

"Yeah." Said Hunter. "But it's impossible. Theres nothing, nothing at all. It's completely hopeless." Aster sighed.

"Theres always hope." Said Aster. "Wait; bide yer time. Getting out of Pitch's lair is unlikely, but if what Mother Nature says is true, he'll have to take most, if not all, of us to yer Mother's pond. We might stand a chance there."

"We didn't stand a chance with three seasonal spirits against him. He beat the guardians!" sighed Hunter. "Looking on the bright side only goes so far. Dad, all four of you are weakening. Mom's under Pitch's control, Joy, the only one out of five of us that aren't weakening or hurt with ANY fighting experience and talent, is dead and Mother Nature is out of commission. Mrs. Clause, I don't know what happened to her. And, if Pitch succeeds tonight, Mom will have to die. There is no way out." Aster clapped Hunter on the back, rubbing circles in his fur.

"Ya sound like me during Pitch's last escapade." Said Aster, laughing. "After he destroyed Easter. Still don't know how yer Mother forgave me for being such an arse. Nearly punched him. I blamed him for not being where we needed him to be, and almost cost us him forever. We all thought the worst, that he gave away Baby Tooth for his memories. We should have known Pitch tricked him. We gave him every reason to join Pitch, ignored him for centuries, and, well, when I met him I was an arse then too. Shoulda realized he was alone for so long. But, when there was only one light left-"

"Uncle Jamie." Said Hunter. "He kept believing."

"Yeah." Said Aster. "But ya wanna know WHY he kept believing?"

"Because he's stubborn and a conspiracy theorist?"

"Nope." Said Aster. "Those things are true, but it was because of yer Mother. He was invisible, unbeleived in, and he STILL made the little ankle biter believe in me, and in the rest of us, including yer Mother. All of us gave up hope when we saw his light begin to flicker, and none of us believer yer Mother would come back, but he did, and we kicked Pitch's mangy arse back into the dark pit where he belonged. Theres something to the saying 'Hope springs eternal'. Theres always hope, as long as yer willing to fight for it. Besides, ya got fighting talent. Ya may not be good with a boomerang, but ya can use a sword. Unless the blood on ya and Pitch's missing fingers is a coincidence. It's a wonder North hasn't abducted ya and trained ya in the arts. And yer stubborn, just like yer oldies. Yer fourteen, ya don't need to try and carry the world on yer shoulders. Of course yer not the best; ya haven't had time to train. Yer doing the best ya can, and bested an enemy with nothing but instinct and wits on yer first shot. Ya did good, and ya got the makings of a great swordsman. Yer Mother would be proud and bragging his arse off." Hunter laughed at the image, his Mother flying around telling anyone who could see or hear him about the encounter with Pitch.

"And Joy?"

"If she's gone, she's gone." Said Aster quietly. "I can't change that. She's a smart girl…sometimes at least. She could have been pushed to shore by the tide."

"Or Daisy got her out." Aster stiffened.

"Ya mean Spring?!"

"Joy said they might know more about how to free Mom." Said Hunter. "So, we went looking for them. They were trying to help us, and Daisy had Joy. We got separated from Jesse and Autumn. They might have escaped. Pitch didn't have them. They said something about Pitch destroying the order, and the seasons ceasing to exist if he took out Mom."

"Then ya got reason to have high hopes." Chuckled Aster. "Those three may not be the best ally in the trust department, but when they go on yer side yer a damn lucky bastard. If this means they're in danger, they got yer back on it. And when ya screw with nature spirits, trust me, it ain't pretty." Hunter smiled, then his grin fell.

"Screw…" he said, looking at the lock to the cage. "Screw! That's it!"

"What are ya getting at?" asked Aster, Hunter's exited yelp waking the rest of the prisoners. Hunter unstrapped his arm guard, and bit through the leather, ripping open the stitching.

"Yuck." He said, beginning t pull away the leather and reveal the metal plating.

"Oi!" said Aster. "Yer Mother worked hard on that! What are ya wreaking it for?!"

"The metal!" he said, smiling. "Sandy can still move his sand! He can file the metal down to match the screw heads on the cage, maybe even copy the key!"

"What?!" exclaimed North. "Where did-"

"Look at the cages!" said Hunter, tossing a bewildered Sandy the metal plate. "ALL of them are made in the same design! Chances are I can take the lock mechanism right out with the correct screwdriver, and pick the locks on the shackles.

"How do we get Mother Nature down?" asked Tooth. "I can't fly like this, and Sandy is too weak to hold her up now. Hunter's eye rested on North.

"Give me your belt." He said, taking off all his armor. Wordlessly North handed him the leather. "Tooth, can ya spare the stiffest feather ya got?" Tooth winced, handing him a brilliant green feather. Hunter bit down on the end, sharpening the edge like a knife. He gently pulled the seams from the other guards, tossing the short leather and keeping the long pieces with the belt.

"This should do." He said, firmly knotting the leather together. "Sandy, can you make a grappling hook out of one of these?" He nodded, a ticking clock above his head.

"How long?" asked North. The hour hand on the clock moved from twelve to two.

"It'll have to do." Said Hunter, Sandy tossing him the screw drivers. He tucked them away in his utility belt, hidden from Pitch, should he come knocking, North hiding the improvised rope in his coat. Aster ruffled his son's hair.

"Good onya." He said, smiling as the sun slowly rose.

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"THIS is Old Man Winter?" asked Joy, looking at the urn of water. She opened the lid and stared, thoroughly confused. Suddenly the water shook, Joy squeaking and jumping back from the urn as the water turned to ice.

"FINALLY!" Joy's ears went flat at the old man made of ice, grabbing a cane from the ground. "That damn rodent is going to-"

"Uh…hi?" Joy waved meekly at Old Man Winter, the man's cold eyes seemingly boring through her. Joy shivered as his eyes narrowed.

"If it isn't Jack Frost's little rat." He huffed. "To what do I owe the displeasure?" Joy fidgeted for a moment, scared, before finding her nerve.

"Pitch came back." She said. "He's controlling my Mom, kidnapped my brothers and sisters, and is trying to make the guardians fade, and he's too much to take on."

"And you want me to help you." Stated the old ice man.

"You're the only other winter spirit with powers capable of matching my Mom." Said Joy. "Pitch is going to try and turn him into his minion, like he did with Cupid." She saw the old man flinch, hoping she had stuck a heartstring.

"It'll disrupt the natural order." Said Jesse. "Look, we don't like Frosty at all, and sadly, we have to admit we've gotta help Snow-ball out. If Frosty goes, the cycle of nature will be disrupted and all Hell will break loose."

"Fine." Snarled Old Man Winter. "For the balance. Now, where is Jack's pond?"

"Burgess." Said Joy. "Pennsylvania."

"Lets get this over with." Huffed Old Man Winter, hovering with his arms crossed. Joy perked up, leading the way back to the tunnels.

Pitch wouldn't know what hit him.


	8. Chapter 8

"Okay…" began Hunter, tying the hook to the leather. "Mother Nature, grab the hook and secure it to the bars near the cage door." Hunter began to swing the hook like a pendulum out of the cage, rocking back and forth until it got the proper momentum. With a small clank, it hit the bars, Mother nature grabbing the base of the hook and wedging it between the bars, until finally she had a secure grip next to the door and lock.

"Okay." She called, giving a thumbs up. Hunter turned to the seven spirit army behind him, each grasping the rope.

"Okay…PULL!" With a small groan, the cages began to move, their own tilting slightly while Mother Nature was forced back against the cage bars like she was in a recliner. Finally they managed to pull the cage close enough to reach, and Aster tied the rope to the bars of their cage, though they still hung on tightly. Carefully, Hunter reached out of the cage with a screw driver, bracing himself with his feet against the bars to be level with the lock. Small squeaks came from the screws, a little clack as each hit the floor stories below, Finally Hunter pulled back in, a heavy lock in his paw.

"Dad, catch!" he whispered. Aster grunted, the lock heavier than it looked. He pocketed the screw driver and pushed back out.

"Got her!" he said, grasping Mother Nature tightly against the bars. "Brace yourselves!" Mother Nature took a breath and pulled the hook free, and the cages swung. When the rocking finally stopped, Hunter pulled Mother Nature through one of the bigger spaces between the bars.

"Nice try, rat." Hunter yelped in pain as his body was pulled harshly against the metal by black sand, ripping away his utility belt and the grappling hook. "Perhaps I should corrupt you as well. Though, I DO owe you for my fingers…" The sand tightened around his throat, making him choke. Rose glared at Pitch, and before anyone could move, she shot forward, grabbed one end of the rope wrapped around a thick vine of the sand, and pulled. The bared hook spun, ripping through the sand, the glittering black falling from her brother's neck and piling in the cage. Quickly the black returned to Pitch, who had slammed Rose back with another vine of sand, Aster catching her before she slammed into the opposite side of the cage.

"Enjoy your time while it lasts, rodent." He hissed."Because tonight is your last." Pitch vanished into the shadows, leaving all quiet.

"It was worth a shot." Said Tooth. "We have another chance tonight."

"I hope so." Said Emma, Aster, checking Hunter's bruising throat. Suddenly Nick started squealing, pointing at the floor where the sand had fallen.

"Mama, Mama, Mama!" The group looked at the metal floor, and saw gentle ferns of frost spreading on the floor and crawled up the bars, a weak cold breeze ruffling their hair, sand, feathers and fur. Soon though the frost melted, leaving the floor slightly damp and the gentle breeze was replaced by the harsh gusts of wind. Nick whined a bit as the frost disappeared, the older prisoners watching in awe.

"We're going to get yer Mother back." Said Aster, picking up Nick. "He's too stubborn to have it any other way."

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"Why are we stopping at the Warren?" asked Daisy.

"Egg golems." Said Joy, hopping down the familiar tunnel to the Warren. She stopped, a horrible stench filling her nose. Cautiously, she crept towards the end of the tunnel. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked upon the Warren, the normally luscious green grasses burned to black and brown. Ashes fluttered through the air, the egg flower fields burnt to a crisp. Trees had fallen, their bark blackened and cracked. The burrow was half collapsed, the camouflage of ferns and bushes gone.

"Dear MiM…" murmured Jesse, Autumn covering her mouth to hold in a gasp of shock. Joy looked down, seeing her feet turning dark gray from the soot and ashes. Daisy bit her lip, flying about to see the full damage. Even Old Man Winter seemed shocked.

"Everything on the other side of the paint river is more or less fine." Said Daisy, returning. "But…MiM, who does this?!" Joy sniffed about, taking in the scene of her home reduced to ashes and debris. She jumped as she saw something move under the ashes, Carefully she dusted off the ash, revealing a surviving egg blossom. It's petals popped open, revealing an explosion of color, a little egglet coming forth and hopping onto Joy's leg, crawling up onto her head, where it sat nuzzling her left ear affectionately. As if a signal had been given, more surviving egglets crawled out of the ashes, their paint half obscured by ash and soot. Joy looked down to see one bumping into her foot. Picking it up she wiped away the ash, and recognized the messy pink flower pattern immediately.

_ "I'm never gonna be as good as you, Daddy." Huffed Joy, painting pink daisies on the yellow egg, her Father doing a detailed lily on his own blue one. Her Mother was finger painting messy patterns on eggs with Hunter on his lap, the four year old having fun while his sister agonized over her own._

_ "Technique takes time to learn." Said her Father, giving her a smile. "And a lot of practice, ya impatient little sheila. Besides, it's pretty good for yer first shot."_

_ "But yours is prettier!"_

_ "Because I've had hundreds of years of practice." Replied her Father. With a smirk, he looked at her Mother. "And I got yer gorgeous Mother as a muse."_

_ "Sappy old Easter Kangaroo." Snorted her Mother, frost on his cheeks betraying his blush._

_ "But I wanna be better NOW."_

_ "One day, yer gonna look at this egg and realize how beautiful it is." Said her Father. "Yer details are coming along, but the colors match well. It's bright, it's down right adorable, and the egg likes it when ya paint it. It's not Van Gogh, or an Emily Carr, but bloody oath it's a pretty little egg. This little googie is going in my personal collection."_

_ "Why?"_

_ "Because my little Easter Snow Bunny made it." replied her Father, smiling. "And ya can do anything ya put yer mind to. Ya got talent sheila, and one day yer gonna be right up there with yer old Dad."_

Joy didn't realize she was cradling the egg until it started to crawl up her arm. The Warren could be rebuilt. The burrow was fixable. She perked up her ears, listening for the shifting stone of the egg golems, but instead she heard a familiar laugh.

"What the-" She raced towards the pigment river and hopped across, the three seasons and Old Man Winter following her through the destruction. By the time she found the source of the noise, her fur was black with ash and soot.

"Mrs. Clause?!" The old woman turned from her spot conversing with the golems and egglets.

"Joy…I think." She said. "You need a bath young lady."

"What…How…why are you here?!"

"Opened a portal." She said, gesturing to the army of elves playing with the egglets, a few yetis storing the salvaged toys from the workshop in the field. "Problem with Pitch is he doesn't learn. I've been waiting for your Father to come down here."

"Pitch has him!" exclaimed Joy. "He has ALL the guardians! Mom's absorbed in his sand and he's repeating whatever he did to Cupid with him and-"

"That explains why those four are here." She stated, pointing at the four seasons and Old Man Winter.

"Anya."

"Winter." Nodded Mrs. Clause. "I thought Mother Nature put you in Mount St. Helen."

"The fluff ball let me out."

"Oh, the irony." She ground out. "Your savior, the defenceless little kit you tried to destroy."

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Joy, the seasons jumping a bit at the information as well.

"In hindsight, not my best plan." He sighed. "Imprisonment would have sufficed. I still stand by my belief, though. Winter spirits should NOT be involved with spring spirits."

"Just don't get any bright ideas." Huffed Mrs. Clause. "Then again, beating the shit out of you should be PLENTY of fun." Old Man Winter and Mrs. Clause glared angrily at each other for a few moments, giving Joy the chance to round up the egg golems. Daisy sat on one of the eggs, staring off into the burnt fields.

"I remember when this happened the first time…" she whispered.

"It happened before?" asked Joy. Daisy nodded.

"I was good friends with your Father then." She said quietly. "He had just become the Easter Bunny. He wasn't too much older than you, about seventeen, still developing his skills, still mastering the boomerang. Then there were many Pookas, and they all painted the eggs, each one pitching in to create Easter. It was their job, and the rest of the year they were free. Then Pitch attacked. He burned down the warren and killed off the Pookas, all except your Father. He was out delivering Easter, and when he returned, everyone was gone. For years he was so angry and bitter, nobody could come near him. Still, Easter somehow kept coming. But, he wasn't the same. He became withdrawn, and developed a famous bad attitude and refused to speak to anyone. Nobody quite understood how he could be the guardian of hope, and plenty thought it a sick joke from the Moon. The last of his species…how could he be the guardian of hope, and yet have no hope himself?"

"But…he's not the last." Said Joy. "He can't be the last one."

"You five kits are the only other Pooka in existence." She said. "And trust me, he looked. There were no other survivors. You're Mother…Autumn and I are the only ones out of the three of us that are civil around him. We don't like him, he's pretty destructive to our seasons, but somehow he's good for your Father. I caught him hiding eggs just after your first birthday, and we had a quick chat. I hadn't seen him that happy since his own parents and family was alive. I assume the new baby he mentioned was that gray one with the sword. He looks just like him."

"Probably." Said Joy.

"He was bragging about how special you were, how you already had a talent for art." She said. "How you'd be one of the best Easter Bunnies in history, looking forward to teaching you how to throw a boomerang…I honestly don't think he talked as much as he did in a decade before you were born than he did in that five minutes. Still, just seeing this place as broken as back then…It still hurts to see. I helped create the Warren, seeing it dead like this…"

"My Dad says that there is ALWAYS hope." Said Joy. "Even when things look their darkest, as long as you have hope you can always beat it."

"Wise words from a wise, irritable bunny." Agreed Daisy. Autumn had FINALLY broken the yelling contest between Mrs. Clause and Old Man Winter, and was currently telling them off. Daisy whistled, getting their attention.

"You know, we DO have a separate agenda here!" she said, frowning. "Are we gonna give Pitch what he's had coming for centuries, or are we going to stand here fighting like toddlers?"

"Whoa, kitty got claws." Chuckled Jesse, earning a hit on the head from Old Man Winter's staff.

"Show some respect to the lady." He hissed.

"Like you were with the old bat?"

"You're older than her, you moron." Sighed Autumn.

"Not physically."

"You're lucky we're on a time limit, which by the way is almost up, you little imp." Huffed Mrs. Clause. "Because if I had a few spare moments, I'd gladly twist your spine like a cork screw." Joy loudly thumped her foot.

"We ready?" she asked, giving the spirits a look. Mrs. Clause cracked her knuckles.

"Time to turn Pitch into punching bag, ja?" she snickered, ding a rather accurate impression of her husband. The small army followed Joy through the tunnels, the ash-covered Pooka picking up her sibling's scent, as well as the sickening scent of blood.

_Please don't let us be too late._


	9. Chapter 9

"Don't want you getting any ideas." Growled Pitch, tightening the chains around Hunter, the guardians, his Father and his little brother and sisters in the same predicament, firmly chained to trees surrounding his Mother's pond. There was a drill on the other side of the pond, research vehicles and equipment locked up tight.

"Needed the humans to get ya out ya dirty rat bag?" chuckled Aster. Pitch shot him a malicious glare.

"Their bones are keeping your little mate's company."

"Murderer." Spat Tooth.

"Sticks and stones fairy." Spat Pitch as the last of the preparations were made, nightmare sand swirling around Pitch. Pitch snarled as the sand jerked away from the water, quivering as it resisted. "Now Jack, don't be difficult. It won't hurt…much." In Pitch's anger, he didn't notice the tiny bit of ice at the edges of the pond. Finally he managed to command the sand into the water, and the sound of cracking ice filled the air, a thick sheet of ice forming over the pond.

"Pleasant nightmares, guardians." Chuckled Pitch, nightmares lunging at each captive.

_ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROT-ROTG_

The first thing Joy picked up on were screams and maniacal laughter, the noise urging her forward. Mrs. Clause crouched behind her as they looked at the scene at the pond, nightmares circling the guardians, Hunter, Emma, Rose and Nick, dark sand boring through the ice from each nightmare, turning the blue and white a sickening gray.

"We have to stop him NOW." Snarled Old Man Winter, eyes narrowing at Pitch as he summoned energy from the wind.

"You distract him." Said Joy, a battle plan forming. "He won't see me in the snow. I'll break the chains and wake them up, and then we'll attack as a group."

"Be careful." Said Mrs. Clause, splitting up with the other four spirits while Joy slipped through the snow drifts, invisible to the naked eye.

"Pitch…" The Boogeyman turned, in time for a ball of ice to smash into his beak like nose. He let out an irritated growl, nightmare sands curling irritably around their master.

"Show your face pathetic little-" Pitch barely had time to block as a wave of fire rocketed toward him, Mrs. Clause rumbling out from behind with a loud war cry, sleeves pulled back and fists raised to strike. As Pitch aimed for Mrs. Clause, Autumn sent a wave of fiery leaves to make the woman and Daisy firing sharp rose thorns to the left harder to see. While Pitch was busy deflecting the attacks, Joy reached Tooth's tree. Pulling out the snowflake, she lightly touched her arm with the weapon, paw over her mouth. Tooth woke with a shriek from both the cold and nightmare, squirming against the chains.

"Hold still!" hissed Joy, and Tooth immediately froze.

"Joy?!" she gasped. "Oh, thank MiM! Pitch told us you drowned sweetie! Thank MiM you're alright!" The chains fell, the biting cold of the snowflake easily cracking the chain links.

"Help me get them out." She said, handing her cloth wrapped flake. Tooth nodded, dashing awkwardly (she was used to flying. She rarely walked, let alone RAN) to North, repeating the treatment Joy had given her as Joy freed Sandy. Joy touched her Father lightly, making him jump.

"Damn it Snowflake, yer sleep icing aga-" His eyes locked on Joy. He looked like he wanted to cry as Joy snapped the chains with the snowflake. Joy squeaked as her Father grabbed her in a back breaking hug, sniffing her worriedly while Tooth freed her brothers and sisters. As the last one woke, the steady stream of fear ceased, leaving the ice grey, white and blue. Immediately the sound of cracking ice broke through the air, deep rifts in the smooth sheet of ice forming, jagged peaks bursting through full of nightmare sand, the icy needles crashing into each other as the water and ice thrashed, breaking up the fight on the other side of the pond.

"Something's wrong…" breathed North, side stepping out of the way as a lock of ice shot from the pond, embedding itself in a tree. The wind was thrashing as if in agony, ice shards carried in the throes.

"Brilliant observation Einstein!" growled Old Man Winter, perched on a branch above them. "You! Fluff ball! How much of Frost did you get out of Pitch?!"

"I-I got one vine in Santoff Claussen." Stammered Joy, dodging an ice ball.

"And we got a HUGE one in the cages." Said Emma, hiding with Nick and Rose behind their Father.

"Some came out when I sliced off his fingers." Said Hunter, looking wide eyed at the scene.

"Well, I'll say one thing for your Mother. He's a fighter." Scoffed Old Man Winter. "Whatever went in before the nightmare sand is fighting whatever went in with it. It's in his hands now."

"How the HELL did ya get out of the pit we dumped yer sorry arse?!" growled Aster, ready to spring.

"Cool it rodent." Spat Old Man Winter. "Your little fluff ball let me out. I'm here because I don't have a choice. Natural order comes before my personal agenda. Besides, Pitch has had this coming for over a millennia." There was something dark in the old spirit's eyes, akin to the dark hue their Father's eyes were swiftly turning with each violent crack of the ice. With a shriek of pain, Daisy was sent careening into the large boulders overlooking the pond, a massive gash on her chest from Pitch's scythe. Pitch threw Jack's staff like a javelin, the end lodging in a fissure in the ice, causing it to crack further. A chilling cold spread through the forest, the branches on the trees lashing out like whips, the wind howling like a pack of enraged wolves. The ice cracked, the darkness slowly inching into the normal ice. Pitch smiled sadistically at them from across the pond, nightmare sand trickling into the water through the cracks in the ice.

"You've lost." He snarled, golden eyes blazing at Aster. "This time, NOTHING will stop me from destroying the Guardians and the children!" Suddenly Pitch stopped laughing, the ground rumbling under his feet. Vines shot out of the earth, barbed points flexing menacingly as the guardians noticed a rabbit hole behind them, Nick perched on Mother Nature's shoulders.

"I come bearing gifts." Chuckled Mother Nature, most of her concentration focused on cutting off the nightmare sand from the pond, dumping the weapon's confiscated by Pitch on the ground.

"We stop Pitch at any cost." Said Aster, picking up a sharp boomerang. A loud snap echoed through the air as Pitch's sand sliced through the trees, creating a hefty barrier around the pond. Hunter growled, grabbing the grappling hook and a sword as nightmares began to screech, charging forward.

"Dad! Right!" Aster barely had time to dodge as Hunter swung the hook up, ripping through the nightmare's head. Nick crawled back from a small group of nightmares, backing against the fallen trees. Joy caught the sight out of the corner of her eye, firing boomerangs as she fought to keep the nightmares from Mother Nature, Old Man Winter and Jesse still zipping around Pitch, dividing his attention while Mother Nature attacked with her barbed vines, disrupting the flow of sand to the water.

"Nick! Dig!" Nick thumped his foot against the ground, and the earth opened up, the nightmares falling through tunnels while egg golems sprang up, joining the fray. The nightmares didn't stand a chance against the barrelling bombs of stone, and neither did the wood barrier. Splinters went flying, nightmare sand with it. North barreled into the nightmares, expertly slashing them to bits while Tooth, unable to fly, pulled Nick, Emma and Rose away from danger, Autumn pulling Daisy away and out of fire. Joy and Hunter were forced back to back, the make-shift grappling hook Hunter swung ripping through the night mares as fast as Joy's rapid fire boomerangs. With a roar and explosion of dream sand, North and Sandy cleared a strait shot at Pitch.

"Bunny!" Aster growled, rocketing forward, Old Man Winter stopping the cracking, seething ice before it impaled the Pooka as he raced across the slippery lake. Quick as a flash he jumped, firing boomerangs and egg bombs at Pitch point blank. Nobody noticed the ice begin to calm, Old Man Winter joining the offensive as Mrs. Clause was flung out of the fight and into a rock face.

"I should have finished you off with the rest of the Pooka!" snarled Pitch, running through Old Man winter with his scythe, grabbing the Pooka's injured leg. He quickly trapped the warrior in his sand's tendrils, holding a jagged icicle broken off in the fight. "Now, DIE!" A loud crack echoed throughout the pond, the temperature dropping dramatically, the wind picking up pieces of ice and snow and flinging them in an icy cyclone, ripping Pitch away from Aster like he was nothing but a rag doll, flinging the shadow master angrily into rocks and trees, razor sharp spikes cutting grey flesh to ribbons. Nobody could see in front of them, but miraculously remained untouched by the concentrated blizzard. Finally the wind died, leaving nothing of Pitch's presence but back blood strewn on the ground, trees and rocks, frozen nightmare sand and a disappearing hole under a rotted wooden bed fame, the wind slowly dying down.

"Wow…" said Hunter simply, looking wide eyed at the damage, the blizzard shrinking in size, the ice flat on the pond. Aster pushed himself up, couching up a bit of nightmare sand as the last of the blizzard dissipated.

"MiM…" coughed Old Ma winter, his own magic repairing the damage. "Haven't seen something quite like THAT since the Blizzard of 68." A hooded person fell down on the ice, a shepherds crook tightly clutched in hand.

"Mom?" Joy slipped on to the ice, beaten only by her Father. She couldn't help but smile at familiar snowy white hair, faint frost with shallow breaths.

"Used a LOT of energy too soon." Tisked Old Man Winter. "Thought I taught him better."

"Wait, THAT was Mom?!" exclaimed Hunter, taking in the damage once again. "…Cool." North couldn't help but laugh at the simple statement, Tooth joining the laughter. Daisy, standing in a clear space of grass (thanks to a quick heat blast from Jesse) was slowly healing, leaning heavily on her staff. Gently Aster picked up Jack, lightly chinning the top of his head.

"How long will he be out?" asked Joy, not liking her Mother's barely clinging to life status one bit.

"A week?" supplied Old Man Winter. "My early days I slept twenty years. Who knows? How much energy did he use that he had to call upon nature for? He'll wake up between tomorrow and the next five years. Now, I have some white misery to spread in Russia." Old Man Winter was gone in a flash, Aster growling lowly at him.

"Santoff Claussen?" asked Tooth, checking the injuries. North nodded wordlessly.

"Bunny?" Bunny raised a foot to summon a tunnel, when a much smaller thump was heard behind him. Nick smiled as a big hole opened at his feet, clapping.

"Tunnel!" he giggled. "Dig! Dig! Dig!" If Aster hadn't been so mentally exhausted, he would have broken down and cried in happiness right there, but with an arm full of unconscious Snowflake, and millions of believers to win back, there wasn't time.

"Good onya anklebiter." Was all he could manage, the guardians and assorted spirits slipping down the tunnel.

_ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROTG-ROT-ROTG_

Three weeks later, Jack opened his eyes. The winter spirit was disoriented, tired, and feverish, but that hadn't stopped Aster from, rather comically, tackling him the minute he walked into the globe room, jumping over a meticulously crafted house of cards, toppling them the second he grabbed Jack.

"Awe, did the big old Kangaroo miss me?" teased Jack, bringing a smile to everyone's face. Though, if Aster hadn't been enough, loud squeals was the only warning the couple got before five kits jumped onto them, Nick on the top of it all, crawling and climbing over the mass that was his family. North and Tooth couldn't help but snap a few photos, even the reluctantly invited seasons of Summer, Spring and Fall finding themselves smiling. Old Man Winter, sitting on the windowsill, couldn't help but chuckle.

Oh, he still hated the rodent, and HELL no he wouldn't stop any time soon. But, he had to admit even his icy heart melted as Jack gathered up all five of his children in the best hug he could muster, Nick curling up in his arms.

_Love is blind, deaf and dumb, Winter. I mean, if it wasn't why the HELL would I, a spirit of fire and passion, fall in love with your icy old arse?_

Winter sighed, embracing the memory of Cupid, the first, his little cherub.

He'd lost his hope and heart when Pitch stole her soul. Perhaps eight hundred years was long enough to try and get them back. Leaving only a bit of jagged frost on the windows, he shot off into the icy tundra, embracing the wind.

A sudden weight careened into him, sending him down to earth with a twin weight landing in a snow drift.

"What in the name of Satan's ice box-"

"Gyah! Sorry!" A slim young woman with dark blue eyes, blond hair and a heavy fur robe pulled him out of his small crater. "Still getting the hang of flying…"

"Never mind." Huffed Winter. "Who are you?!"

"Silva Aurora." She giggled. "I make the Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis."

Yes. Eight hundred years was enough time to move on.


End file.
